CONFIRMED: Steven Fletcher signals end of Sunderland career by completing Marseille loan

Chris Young

Steven Fletcher has brought the curtain down on his Sunderland career after finalising a loan move to Marseille.

Fletcher has agreed a deal to join the French side until the summer, with the prospect of the Scotland international remaining in Ligue 1 if he impresses over the the next four months.

With Fletcher's Sunderland contract expiring at the end of the season, the move effectively ends the ex-Wolves man's spell at the Stadium of Light - three-and-a-half years after he arrived in a £12million deal.

The 28-year-old had not featured for Sunderland in the Premier League in 2016, with Sam Allardyce boosting his attacking options with the signing of on-loan Trabzonspor striker Dame N'Doye.

However, Fletcher - who trained with Sunderland this morning - had been expected to stay at the club until the summer, with Celtic eyeing a Bosman move for the ex-Wolves man.

But after Marseille reached an agreement over Fletcher's wages for the remainder of the campaign, the Black Cats sanctioned the exit of a player who netted 23 goals in 94 Premier League appearances in red and white.

Fletcher said: "The team I played for back in England have a lot of French players, like Yann M'Vila, who have told me a lot about it.